Get ready for quite an adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia
You will have such a good time discovering two trails that are undoubtedly a couple of the best outdoor adventures anywhere in the world. They are The Benton MacKaye Trail and The Appalachian Trail, both starting clear up at the top of Springer Mountain in Fannin County, Georgia. The Benton MacKaye Trail will take you on a 250 mile journey all along the Appalachian Mountains and eventually meets up with The Appalachian Trail in the state of Virginia. Embarking on a trek using The Appalachian Trail will have you starting a journey of over 2,000 miles through a lot of states and ending up in Maine.
If you should be hiking on the Benton MacKaye Trail, you will come upon the Toccoa River and be crossing it using a bridge that is just called the Swinging Bridge. This bridge was built in the 1970’s by both the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club and the Forest Service and is considered to be the longest swinging bridge east from the Mississippi River, measuring 265 feet. Continuing on this trail, you will see some of the remote areas of Georgia.
The Toccoa River is extremely popular with folks who like to go canoeing, trout fishing, tubing and kayaking on the weekends. There is a Forest Service Campground called Deep Hole where paddlers begin on the 17-mile journey along the Toccoa River Canoe Trail. It takes you right under the Swinging Bridge and then through the Aska Adventure Trails Area, which is a great place for mountain biking and hiking.
Getting to where the Toccoa River gets slower, the TVA dam forms Lake Blue Ridge, a very popular spot for those who live for fishing and boating. Then, leaving this Lake, the river continues along down through McCaysville Basin. Just like the Native Americans and settlers did back in the day, this river area always has trout fisherman frequenting it.
The Cherokee Indians held the belief that the Cohutta Mountains, located west of the valley, held up the sky because of how high they were. There are numerous opportunities for recreation here, including hiking, checking out spectacular waterfalls, camping and remote backpacking.
After the Toccoa River exits McCaysville Basin, it is then called the Ocoee. Go a few miles to discover the Ocoee Whitewater Center and world-class whitewater. This area is buzzing with whitewater enthusiasts in canoes, kayaks and rafts from all over the world during the months of March-October. They love the constant flow rate, size and power and the continuous holes and waves; the rapids are world-class.
Many more extraordinary opportunities await you in this great part of the world, such as the Cohutta Wilderness Area, the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Your adventures will be seemingly endless when you visit the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia.
